The problem with being the standard-bearer for world-class performance is that you're saddled with the burden of defending your crown at every turn. Take the 2011 Nissan GT-R, for example. This vehicle has the proud distinction of offering one of the highest performance-per-dollar ratios of any car on the planet, and as such, it's the go-to challenger for any high-horsepower machine looking to make a name for itself.

Those would-be stars are typically low-slung tuner creations, but the team from Hennessey chose to line the big-bad Nissan up against something a little less traditional: its HPE1000 Cadillac Escalade. Whereas the 485-horsepower 2011 GT-R can dash to 60 mph in as little as 3.4 seconds, the big SUV packs two turbos, over 1,000 horsepower and 0-60 sprint of 3.3 seconds.

Just three years after successfully launching its flagship performance vehicle on our shores, the engineers at Nissan have introduced a subtly but completely reworked supercar. The engine has more power, the suspension has been revised, the wheels are lighter, the seats have been redesigned, the brakes are bigger, the chassis is stiffer and the aerodynamics have been reconfigured to improve cooling and provide more downforce. This isn't a manufacturer's token "mid-cycle refresh" to boost sales; these are changes that improve the overall drivability and performance of the GT-R so significantly that most will be inclined to consider it nothing short of a second-generation rebirth.

For starters, how does 0-60 in 2.88 seconds sound?

Its performance was mind-boggling at the time. Under the hood was a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 developing 480 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Mated to a standard six-speed sequential dual-clutch rear transaxle, power was sent to the ground through the automaker's ATTESSA E-TS all-wheel-drive system. Nissan didn't officially quote performance figures at the time, but most publications clocked the GT-R's sprint to 60 mph in a scant 3.5 seconds. Quick on the street, it was even more capable on the track. Succinctly delivering this point, its Nürburgring time of just 7:38 put it ahead of the famed Porsche 911 Turbo and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

When we reported on the 2012MY Nissan GT-R, we were wondering how the added power would affect the Japanese sports car's acceleration times. Well, the wait is over as Nissan announced today that the facelifted GT-R with the tweaked 530HP twin-turbocharged V6 completes the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in just 3.0 seconds, or a whopping 0.5 seconds faster than the 485 hp version.

Measurements were carried out at the Sendai Race Way on November 12th-13th, in Sunny/Cloudy weather during the media test event. Temperature ranged between 15-19 degrees Celsius (59-66.2 F).

The company used a standard specification model – including tires and wheels –, without any optional parts. The car was set to “R” mode for the suspension and VDC-R (Vehicle Dynamic Control) system.

Given that few (if any) series-production sports cars priced under the $100k mark (in the U.S.) achieve these kind of numbers, the GT-R definitely returns an incredible bang for your buck.

Nissan is making quite a splash at the 2010 LA Auto Show. Despite the presence of the bat-guano-crazy Murano CrossCabriolet and rather attractive Ellure Concept, perhaps the most highly anticipated machine from the Japanese automaker is the 2012 GT-R. Here are the most important pieces of information to chew on: 530 horsepower and 488 pound-feet of torque.

That means Godzilla Part II (Tokyo Strikes Back!) offers up 45 more raging stallions than the first edition, which Nissan claims is enough to push its all-wheel-drive super coupe to 60 miles per hour in under three seconds(!). Those upgraded figures come courtesy of increased boost from the twin turbos packed into the six combustion chambers along with larger inlet and exhaust pipes.

Body modifications include an enlarged front fascia and grille openings along with double rectifier fins and LED running lights. These updates are said to allow for more air to enter the engine compartment and sweep across front brakes for cooling. Out back, Nissan says its redesigned rear fascia lowers the car's center of gravity.

Aerodynamic improvements such as the aforementioned front fascia, rear diffuser and underbody trays equal a coefficient of drag that falls to just 0.26. All models get new and improved Rays wheels, and a new Black Edition sees darkened six-spoke affairs along with red-trimmed Recaro seats that should look pretty darn nice with the new across-the-range carbon interior highlights.

Colors include Solid Red, Gun Metallic, Pearl White and a limited production four-stage metallic Super Silver, which join two new shades for the new year: Deep Blue Pearl (pictured) and Jet Black.

What makes a sportscar like the Porsche 911 the dynamic wonder it is today? Relentless development and fine-tuning. With the introduction of the 2011 model, Nissan is doing the same with the GT-R, boosting performance and adding amenities while tacking on two new variants to its ever-expanding line up.

For 2011 the entire GT-R range – previewed at the Paris Motor Show and due to hit North American dealers around February – the upgrades come from a range of enhancements outside, inside and underneath. Although the 2011 model may look almost identical to the outgoing version, Nissan has labored arduously to improve aerodynamics – increasing downforce by 10% while reducing drag by a hundredth of a G – with new bumpers front and rear, larger vents and an enlarged diffuser. LED running lights are most notably integrated into those strakes on the front corners, while inside the cabin gets a new instrument panel and carbon fiber trim. More in the jump!

But it's the 2011 GT-R's guts that set it apart: the boost has been increased, the valve timing adjusted and the ECU recalibrated to bump output up to 523 horsepower and 451 pound-feet of torque – an increase from the outgoing model's 485 hp and 434 lb-ft. The engine also gets a glowing red cover to set it apart, along with a strut brace links the suspension towers. The suspension has also been retuned, and mounted to new 20-inch Rays wheels barely hiding the redesigned brake discs that promise to fade less and last longer.

All those improvements are fitted to the standard GT-R and to the SpecV, which otherwise carries on pretty much unchanged. New to the family are the Club Track edition and the Egoist version. The former has been developed specifically for driver training and specially-organized track events, though few details have been released as to what those competition-oriented modifications entail. The Egoist model, meanwhile, (previously thought to be called the SpecM) gets a unique quilted leather interior (pictured at right) crafted by Germany's Seton Company from a choice of 20 colors, further set apart on the exterior by the carbon spoiler, wheels and titanium exhaust from the SpecV. Tons of photos at the source!

Nissan has confirmed its intent to make sportier models a mainstay in its lineup, and possibly expand to include produce all-electric sports cars. The company is also expected to confirm before years end, a revised version of the GT-R that could sport up to 530bhp. The new models have yet to be officially signed off on, which leads to speculation of the new models being part of Nissan’s bid to reduce its range-wide fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan COO mentioned Nissan’s heritage of offering a pleasurable driving experience through its sports cars. “I can’t commit to any new products but, as far as we know, we are keeping this brand, these technologies, and trying to offer sporty cars. I am also thinking of electric vehicles as sporty cars,” he said.

Toyota is also on a mission to create more modestly priced performance cars, and Shiga all but directly said that Nissan plans to follow suit. When asked if his company was looking to produce a cheaper sports car, he said, “Automotive makers are not just making commodities to transfer people or goods. We are happy to provide, or to offer, this value. Nissan wants to continue making vehicles for driving pleasure – this is important.”

The thing about a halo car is that it needs that pretty little halo buffed and shined every single year to be sure the machine is kept at the forefront of consumers' minds. Nissan has been doing a pretty good job with its GT-R over the last few years in this regard, bumping power here and adding new techno-goodies there – all in an effort to give its giant slayer the tools to continue properly slaying. More in the jump!

That trend looks to continue for the 2012 model year, as the hive mind from GTRBlog.com has managed to score enough information on the upcoming machine to put together a nice little preview. Starting with the exterior, the next GT-R will get a revised front fascia complete with new (and sure to be controversial) LED driving lights frenched into new canards at either corner of the front bumper, lowering the car's coefficient of drag from 0.272 to 0.268.

There's also a new rear diffuser that adds 10 percent more downforce at the business end and a set of forged wheels from Rays cut 6.6 pounds of unsprung weight at each corner for a total loss of over 26 pounds. Impressive. There are reportedly two new colors for both the wheels – Hyper Blue Black and Hyper Titanium – and for the car – Aurora Flare Blue Pearl and Nebula Opal Black.

Expect price increases for both the base model, which will now be known as the Pure Edition, and the Premium Edition. Naturally, we're also told to expect some additional horsepower. We'll keep our eyes and ears peeled for more.

Look closely and use a bit of imagination and it's obvious that Nissan is upgrading the GT-R's front and rear fascias for the 2012 model year.

The changes are slight, but they deserve noting. Particularly the new rear bumper, integrated diffuser and sharper flares aft of the rear wheels. The front grille has been revised with a more horizontal opening than the previous model and with camo covering the side intakes, it's obvious that the bumper is going to be benefit from a slight restyling.

Spies caught both a standard GT-R and its SpecV sibling at the Nurburgring, so it appears that these changes will carry over to both models. Expect an official reveal sometime this fall.

A 2010 GT-R sports car, valued at close to $90,000, burned inside a locked showroom at a Gainesville car dealership late Sunday, police and firefighters reported.

One possibility behind the blaze, which was discovered shortly after a guard completed rounds to make sure the Gainesville Nissan dealership was secure, was a fallen light, firefighters confirmed. But the specific cause and origin of the fire remained under investigation Monday afternoon, said fire rescue spokeswoman Carol Davis.

Gainesville police said the fire was reported around 10 p.m. at the dealership at 3915 N. Main St. The first officers at the scene found the car fully engulfed in flames, according to police. Glass doors were broken to give firefighters access to the car. More in the jump!

The car was a Super Silver GT-R Nissan, Davis said.

"They did have a security guard there, but he wasn't able to get into the building," Davis said. "When the fire department and police got there, they had to break the doors to get in."

Stacy Calhoun, the dealership's parts and services director, said firefighters weren't sure how the fire started or if it started in the car.

An arson investigator was at the scene early Monday searching for clues into the cause of the fire.

"It's unusual for a car to catch fire in a closed building," Davis said.

No other parts of the business were damaged by the fire or efforts to enter the building except for the car and the building's doors, Davis said.

The dealership has one other GT-R in the showroom, Calhoun said.

Calhoun also said that the guard at the dealership had just performed rounds and made sure the building was secure before the fire was discovered.

Nissan on Thursday announced pricing on its 2011 GT-R, saying that it has eliminated the base model, which leaves only the more expensive premium version. The 2011 Nissan GT-R Premium starts at $85,060, including a $1,000 destination charge.

The base 2010 Nissan GT-R started at $81,790, including a $1,000 destination charge. The 2010 Nissan GT-R Premium started at $84,040, including shipping.

Nissan said it has added such things as slightly darker wheel center caps, double clearcoat on the front and rear fascias and rear cooling ducts on the 2011 GT-R. The suspension has been retuned and other changes were made to enhance ride comfort, Nissan said in a statement. Auto on/off headlights and speed-sensitive wipers are now standard. Super Silver paint adds $3,000 to the bottom line for 2011 and carpeted GT-R logo floor mats add $280.

Created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Datsun 240Z, Nissan's special edition 370Z is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. towards the end of the month with pricing set at $38,860 not including destination fees. The 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition will be offered in the States only as a coupe with production limited to 1,000 units.

The commemorative edition is based on the 370Z Touring model equipped with Sport Package and 6-speed manual transmission adding several unique features such as "40th Graphite" exterior finish and special red leather-appointed interior.

Other exclusive features for the 40th Anniversary Edition include a high-luster smoke wheel finish, red brake calipers and 40th Anniversary badges on the rear hatch and front shock tower brace.

In the interior, aside from the red leather seats, there are red door panel inserts, 40th Anniversary debossed seatback and floormat embroidery, red stitching on the shift boot and kneepads, center stack and steering wheel plus an interior 40th commemorative plaque of authenticity.

Japanese tuning enthusiasts (and racing sim fanatics everywhere) have come to know Tommy Kaira as one of the best in the business. The Japanese outfit works its magic on Skylines, Imprezas and more, and has now released a tuning package for the current Nissan GT-R.

Called the Silver Wolf, this GT-R sees its engine left intact, but gets treated to a full body kit, plus new rolling stock, brakes, exhaust and suspension components. The carbon fiber widebody package gives Godzilla a serious attitude adjustment, while the functional components – if Tommy Kaira's previous offerings are anything to go by – promise to squeeze that extra bit of performance out of this Japanese icon.

Autocar magazine's Steve Sutcliffe assembled the Nissan GT-R, the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Audi R8 V10 at the UK's Castle Combe circuit to see which of the entry level supercars could turn in the fastest lap.

The GT-R is the low-cost track star of the bunch, with the most mass, the least power and, arguably the most grip of the group. The 911 Turbo is the featherweight of the entry supercar trio, with middle-of-the-pack power and an (apparently) adventurous ride. The R8 V10 has the most power and Audi's excellent Quattro all-wheel drive system.

Sutcliffe took all through road warriors through the paces at Castle Combe, and the dynamic trio finished within about one second of each other. One of them could have won if it weren't for some iffy brakes, another didn't quite have the grip to win the day while the winner was quickest in and out of turns. Who won? You'll have to watch in the jump...